Smoking Linked to Cataracts

A new study from Zhejiang University in China has linked smoking to increased risk of age-related cataracts—the leading cause of vision loss around the globe.

The findings were published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science after a team of researchers studied cases from Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and North America, to compare the frequency of age-related cataract in individuals who’ve smoked cigarettes at some point in their lives to those who’ve never smoked.

The results showed that those who smoked cigarettes increased their risk of age-related cataract. The prevalence of cataract was even higher in current smokers.

This study supports prior research findings in June, 2012 from the Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science that linked those with a history of smoking to an increased risk of glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. In light of these earlier findings, it’s no surprise that smokers are at increased risk of nuclear cataract and posterior sub capsular cataract as well.

“Although cataracts can be removed surgically to restore sight, identifying [the common] risk factors [like smoking cigarettes] may help establish preventive measures and reduce the financial and clinical burdens caused by the disease,” said the study’s author, Juan Ye, MD.

To prevent the development of cataracts and glaucoma, a healthy lifestyle and diet are recommended to keep the blood vessels in the eye healthy and functioning effectively.

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